| Period | Event Links | States |
|---|---|---|
| 1780 July - 1781 May | Arrival and stay in Newport RI | RI |
| 1781 Jan - July | Lafayette vs Cornwallis in VA | VA |
| 1781 June | March from RI via CT to NY | MA,RI,CT |
| 1781 July - Aug 13 | NY encampment, sally-in-force against British positions; decision to besiege Cornwallis in VA | NY |
| 1781 Aug 14 - Sep 2 | March from NY via NJ to PA | NY,NJ |
| 1781 Sep 2-5 | March through PA | PA |
| 1781 Sep 2-7 | March through DE The soldiers continued by water, the officers and baggage by land. At the Virginia Capes the French fleet drives off a British fleet, thus denying relief to the British army at Yorktown | DE |
| 1781 Sep 8-24 | March/sail through MD and VA to Yorktown | MD,VA |
| 1781 November | Victory and Return North Immediately after the brief siege and magnificent victory at Yorktown the U.S. Continental troops and the two French fleets returned to their pre-convergence locations. The French army remained in VA for the winter. | VA |
| 1782 July-Dec | Return of the French army from VA to Boston MA, after which most of the French troops shipped out from Boston for the Caribbean. | all |
Active Map of the W3R (below)As you move the mouse curson across the map below it will change shape when it gets near the white or grey lines. You may then click to go to the page with the history of the W3R for that section of the march (going south). To read the history of the return march in 1782 you must use the table. |
WHITE = main army land route, BLACK =state boundaries, GREY = sailing route BLUE = major rivers or French fleet route; YELLOW = British fleet route |
Timeline of the W3RWhen the cursor changes shape on the text-note areas of the timeline you may click to see more detail on that aspect of the campaign.![]() |
Reference SourcesBooks on the French army and its role in the American Revolution:
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